08.03 (Sat)
Anthony Johnson
Anthony Johnson was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1957. Many of the top Jamaican singers of the time were also from Trench Town, and Johnson took inspiration from the likes of John Holt, Dennis Brown, and Alton Ellis, regularly visiting the latter’s yard in nearby White Street. When political violence escalated in Kingston, Johnson moved away for a time to Montego Bay, where he stayed with Ellis’s younger brother Irving, and while there sang with Irving’s steel band, which performed at local hotels. When Johnson moved back south, he lived in Portmore, where he befriended the actor/comedian Carl Bradshaw, and played in Bradshaw’s backing band.
In the mid-1970s, Johnson began auditioning at Kingston’s studios, along with his friend Horace Grassett (better known as Badoo). His first recording was “Free Black Man” for producer Bunny Lee, although this was not released; Lee did, however, suggest that Johnson drop ‘Roy’ from his name, and he has performed as Anthony Johnson since. He went on to record for the Hoo Kim brothers at Channel One Studios, and was sufficiently successful that he was able to buy a guitar. Johnson spent a lot of time at the Rasta camp on Selassi... More Biography
Anthony Johnson was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1957. Many of the top Jamaican singers of the time were also from Trench Town, and Johnson took inspiration from the likes of John Holt, Dennis Brown, and Alton Ellis, regularly visiting the latter’s yard in nearby White Street. When political violence escalated in Kingston, Johnson moved away for a time to Montego Bay, where he stayed with Ellis’s younger brother Irving, and while there sang with Irving’s steel band, which performed at local hotels. When Johnson moved back south, he lived in Portmore, where he befriended the actor/comedian Carl Bradshaw, and played in Bradshaw’s backing band.
In the mid-1970s, Johnson began auditioning at Kingston’s studios, along with his friend Horace Grassett (better known as Badoo). His first recording was “Free Black Man” for producer Bunny Lee, although this was not released; Lee did, however, suggest that Johnson drop ‘Roy’ from his name, and he has performed as Anthony Johnson since. He went on to record for the Hoo Kim brothers at Channel One Studios, and was sufficiently successful that he was able to buy a guitar. Johnson spent a lot of time at the Rasta camp on Selassi... More Biography